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MFA Cohort 2014

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Lara Binder—Artistic director of B-Dance, has extensive experience as a professional dancer,
teacher, producer and choreographer in San Diego, California. She has had the opportunity
to train and perform with Faith Jensen-Ismay, John Malashock, Michael Mizerany, Allyson
Green Dance, Joe Alter Dance, the PGK Project, Patricia Sandback and Dancers, and
Jean Isaacs' San Diego Dance Theater at events such as Bravo San Diego, Celebrate
Dance Festival and Trolley

Dances. In 2005 Lara graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree and was named the
Outstanding Graduate in Dance and the 2012 Dance Alumni of the Year for San Diego
State University. Since graduation she has performed nationwide and internationally
with Malashock Dance Company and Mojalet Dance Collective. Lara is also the co-founder
and producer for IGNITE, an annual choreography showcase in San Diego. Currently,
Lara and her husband are

enjoying their new home in Jacksonville Beach, Florida where she is enrolled in the
MFA program at Jacksonville University. She is also working with The Braided Light
Dance Project and Jacksonville Dance Theater while teaching at Douglas Anderson School
for the Performing Arts and Jacksonville University.

Kathy Follensbee received her B.S. in Physical Education from Florida State University and is currently
enrolled at Jacksonville University for the Masters of Fine Arts in Choreography Program.
She is a past President of Florida Dance Masters (FDM), founding Secretary of the
Florida Dance Education Organization (FDEO) and has served on writing teams for the
Florida Next Generation Sunshine State Standards as well as the Florida’s Race To
The Top. As the Dance Director of the Dr. Phillips High School Visual and Performing
Arts Magnet program, her students have won many honors and are now dancing in colleges,
performing and teaching across the nation. Kathy has been named "Who’s Who in America's
Teachers" six times (only 1% of teachers are awarded this honor more than once). Kathy
has an eclectic background in movement! She was a Synchronized Swimmer and Dancer
for the Louisiana World's Fair Exposition in 1984, and is a Master's National Synchronized
Swimming Champion as well. She has judged dance contests and taught master classes
throughout Florida and New York. Kathy has been married for 25 years and has three
children and a dog (who all love to dance)!!!

Peter de Grasse was most recently engaged by Staatstheater Darmstadt, where he was a soloist from
2008 to 2012. Prior to working in Germany, he danced for a variety of companies and
projects in the United States, most notably Sacramento Ballet, Ballet X, and Spectrum
Dance Theater, where he danced under Donald Byrd from 2004 to 2008, and was promoted
to principal artist in 2006. Peter's musical theater credits include West Side Story
(5th Avenue, Seattle), as well as Fiddler on the Roof and Jesus Christ Superstar (Germany).
He received training at San Francisco Ballet and holds a B.F.A. From Juilliard. He
is now teaching and choreographing for the dance program at Whitman College in his
hometown of Walla Walla, Washington.

Ilya Kovadayev, Born in St. Petersburg, Russia to a family of professional ballet dancers, Ilya
Kozadayev began training in 1988 at the infamous Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg
under Ludmila Karateeva. After immigrating to the United States, he continued his
dance training at the School of American Ballet in New York City, and had the privilege
of training with Stanley Williams, Andre Kramarevsky, and Richard Rapp. Ilya spent
five years of his training under his parents Sergey Kozadayev and Zhanna Dubrovskaya
at the Academy of Colorado Ballet in Denver, Colorado. While training at the Academy
of Colorado Ballet Ilya Kozadayev was invited to perform in Tokyo, Japan at the Auyama
Ballet Festival where Ilya danced the pas de deux from the second act of Giselle.
Mr. Kozadayev completed his training in 1998 by graduating from the John Cranko Ballet
School in Stuttgart, Germany where he was trained by a famous professor, Peter Pestov.
While at the John Cranko School Ilya performed August Burnonville's Flower Festival
In Genzano pas de deux, solo in William Forsythe Love Songs, and performed in works
by Renato Zanella, and Hans van Manen.

In 1998 Mr. Kozadayev joined Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre performing in Daniel Pelzig's
Romeo and Juliet, George Balanchine's Theme and Variations and Kent Stowel's Carmina
Burana. In 1999 Mr. Kozadayev joined Colorado Ballet and was quickly promoted to soloist
in 2000, a position he held until 2002. Mr. Kozadayev's repertoire in Colorado Ballet
included: Nutcracker Prince in Martin Freedman's Nutcracker, Jonathan Harker in Michael
Pink's Dracula, Jester in Martin Freedman's Cinderella, Popular Song in Fredric Ashton's
Facade, Cowboy in Agnes de Mill's Rodeo, Jester in Sergey Kozadayev's Swan Lake, Soloist
in Choo San Goh's Configurations, Narcissus in Kasian Galizovsky's Narcissus, James
in August Burnonville's La Sylphide, fourth regiment pas in George Balanchine's Stars
and Stripes.

While working with Colorado Ballet, in 2000 Mr. Kozadayev was invited as a guest artist
to Boston Ballet to dance the role of Talamy in Ben Stevenson's Cleopatra. Later that
year Ilya Kozadayev won a silver medal at the New York International Ballet Competition
dancing George Balanchine's Tchaikovsky pas de deux and Alvin Ailey's giggling rapids
pas de deux from The River.

In 2002 Ilya Kozadayev appeared as a guest principal for Columbia Classical Ballet
performing the lead role in George Balanchine's Allegro Brilliante, created the role
of Mandarine in Milena Lebon's Miraculous Mandarin and danced Marius Petipa's Flames
of Paris pas de deux.

In 2002 Mr. Kozadayev joined Boston Ballet where his repertoire included: Solos in
Mark Morris' Maelstrom, Alain in Frederick Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardee, solos in
Rudi van Dantzig's Romeo and Juliet and William Forsythe's In The Middle Somewhat
Elevated.

In 2003 Ilya joined the Houston Ballet at the invitation of artistic director Stanton
Welch as a member of the corps de ballet. A year later Mr. Kozadayev was promoted
to the rank of Soloist. Ilya's extensive repertoire with Houston Ballet includes:
Peter Pan in Trey McIntyre’s Peter Pan, Lead Pontrovedrian in Ronald Hynd's The Merry
Widow, Jester in Ben Stevenson's Cinderella, The Victim in Christopher Bruce's Swan
Song, Goro in Stanton Welch's Madam Butterfly, Peasant pas de deux in Maina Guilgud's
production of Giselle, Sailor in Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free, Blue Bird in Ben Stevenson's
Sleeping Beauty, Pink Couple in Jiri Kylian's Forgotten Land, the solo of trumpeter's
lullaby in Mark Morris' The Sand Paper Ballet, Amor man in Ben Stevenson's Don Quichotte,
Alain in Frederic Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardee, Fire God in Stanton Welch’s La Bayadere.
Roles in Jorma Elo’s One/End/One. Ilya has created such roles as the younger brother
in Christopher Bruce's Hush, 11th pas de duex in Stanton Welch's Nosotros, Cupid in
Trey McIntyre’s The Tinderbox, Solo in Stanton Welch's Brigade and Autumn in Stanton
Welch's The Four Seasons. Mr. Kozadayev has also danced ensemble works such as Jiri
Kylian's Soldier's Mass, Stanton Welch's Divergence, Christopher Bruce's Sergeant
Early's Dream, Christopher Wheeldon's Carnival of the Animals, Christopher Bruce's
Rooster, and was featured in Stanton Welch's ballets such as Clear, Blindness, Maninyas,
Velocity, Elements, Falling, and Tapestry

Ilya Kozadayev continues his career with the Houston Ballet and is starting to teach
ballet classes for the Houston Ballet II and the Houston Ballet Ben Stevenson’s Academy
and at various summer programs and workshops around the country. Mr. Kozadayev is
in the process of receiving his MFA degree from the Jacksonville University in Jacksonville,
FL.

Shellisa Angelina Moore was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. She started dancing at the age of
7 with NOBA, New Orleans Ballet Association where she received her training in Ballet
and Modern. Her inspiration for dance had led her to continue following her goals.
As she grew older, she attended NOCCA, New Orleans Center for Creative Art where she
was trained in Ballet, Modern, Jazz and Tap. Being a part of this program let her
know this was her purpose in life. After Shellisa graduated from Alfred Lawless High
School in 2002, she also graduated from the NOBA program and became a dance teacher
assistant. This is when her dance teaching career began to blossom. Now after becoming
a dance teacher assistant, Shellisa attended and graduated from Dillard University
where she received her B.A. in Psychology. Even though she received her undergrad
in psychology, it didn’t decrease her thoughts towards dance.

While in college, Shellisa began to teach Hip Hop to children and young adolescent
during the NYSP, National Youth Sport Program in the summer of 2005. During this time,
Shellisa became a full-time teacher for NOBA in 2006, where she was teaching Ballet
and Modern in different areas of New Orleans and in Gretna. Shellisa taught in different
areas that expand her teaching knowledge; places such as the Cut-Off, St. Bernard
and the Treme’ area. These areas have led her to continue on with teaching, just in
another way that could have an extreme effect on young adolescents. Shellisa teaching
path brought her into the New Orleans Public School System in 2007. She began teaching
at James Singleton Charter School and then moved towards Gentilly Terrace Charter
School where she teaches Modern, Hip Hop and Creative Movement to young adolescents.
Along with her teaching, Shellisa has also performs with Ashe’ Cultural Art Center
in a piece called, “The Origin of Life on Earth: an African Creation Myth.” Being
a part of this work, she has explored African culture and dance with in this choreographic
piece. She has also performed with local artists of New Orleans, whom she is still
in contact with to this day.

Nancy Petro began her training in Fort Myers, Fl. under the direction of Patty Gair. She received
training in modern, ballet, jazz and African, and also danced with the Southwest Florida
Dance Theatre, a professional company that performed throughout the SW Florida area.
Through high school she was presented with many opportunities to study at different
schools and festivals. These include North Carolina School of the Arts and Jacob’s
Pillow Dance Festival where she attended on scholarship for the Jazz Project.

After high school she was awarded a full scholarship to attend New World School of
the Arts in Miami, Fl. There she trained with teachers including Geri Houlihan, Jane
Carrington, Freddick Bratcher, Bambi Anderson, Gerard Ebitz, Peter London and the
dean Daniel Lewis. Her four years included modern, ballet, composition/choreography,
music, dance history, repertory, and pedagogy. She was also presented with international
studies including African, Afro-Cuban and Flamenco. Ms. Petro also danced with Freddick
Bratcher and Company, a professional contemporary dance company in Miami from 1991
to 1995. Beyond Miami, Ms. Petro traveled to Chicago to work with different colleagues
in choreography and trained at the Lou Conte studios home of Hubbard Street Dance
Chicago and River North Dance Chicago. In the summer of 2005 Ms. Petro was awarded
a teacher’s Fellowship to the Bates Dance Festival in Maine. She was a board member
of the Florida Dance Education Organization from 2004 to 2011. Ms. Petro started the
National Honor Society for Dance Arts for the state of Florida in 2006. She was the
Chairperson for the National Honor Society for Dance Arts for Florida from 2006 to
2011. Currently, Ms. Petro is a dance teacher at Cypress Lake High School Center for
the Arts. This is Nancy’s first year in the MFA for Choreography program at the University
of Jacksonville.

Suzanne Saltmarsh earned a BFA (1989) in Dance from Florida State University and Teaching Certification
from Martha Graham School in NYC (1989). She performed with the Martha Graham Dance
Company (1992), Dallas Black Dance Theater (1990-1992), San Francisco Opera Ballet
(1997), and LabayenDance/SF (1998, 2000-2002 Enrico Labayen). She formed her own pick-up
company, Saltmarsh Dance, in 1999 San Francisco, CA. Performing at ODC, SF, the Cowell
Theater, Women's Work, and the Fringe Festival. She has taught through out the US
and in Portugal (Escola De Movimento), Lima, Peru (1991), and Palermo, Sicily and
Rome, Italy (1992).

A number of Ms. Saltmarsh's former students dance for a variety of professional companies
in the States and abroad. John Lam, an outstanding student/dancer, was the recipient
of the Princess Grace Foundation Award.

Before beginning her professional dance career, Ms. Saltmarsh demonstrated for the
Florida State University Dance Department (Ethel Winter, Peggy Lyman), the Martha
Graham School (Armguard von Bardeleben, Ethel Winter, Kevin Keenan, and Diane Gray),
the Julliard School (Ethel Winter) and Texas Christian University (David Hochoy).
Ms. Saltmarsh has taught and choreographed for the last 24 years. She has tirelessly
given her students a passion and respect for the Art of Dance. Ms. Saltmarsh believes
that Dance transcends cultural, economic, and religious beliefs; and that Dance has
the power to communicate on an International level. It can reach audiences of all
ages, and diverse cultural backgrounds to create a more informed and aware community
that benefits all.

Andre Tyson, a native of Greenville, North Carolina, began his training at the School of the
Garden State Ballet and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater/Joan Weill Center for
Dance. He is a former Principal Dancer and Company Teacher with the Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theater and also a

Certified Pilates Instructor. He has created works for a broad range of companies
from Ailey II, to the Milwaukee Ballet. Additionally, Mr. Tyson has taught at renowned
dance festivals in Asia and Europe, served as an assistant to Talley Beatty and received
several choreographic grants and academic awards.

Throughout his career he has studied and worked with a stellar list of distinguished
master teachers, choreographers, directors and performing artists in concert dance,
commercial theater, film, television and video. After ten years as an Associate Professor
at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts, Mr. Tyson is now
Assistant Dean at California Institute of the Arts Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance

Mr. Tyson’s position as Assistant Dean at the California Institute of the Arts Sharon
Disney Lund School of Dance provides him with exciting new challenges that nourish
him as an artist, administrator and an educator. Presently, Mr. Tyson is delighted
and honored to be the Gilman Fellow at Jacksonville University Masters in Choreography
Program working on his M.F.A. in dance and choreography.

Exploring stimulating career opportunities, as well as new artistic frontiers, colors
and heightens not only his life as a creator, performer, educator, but, like a pebble
in a pond, ripples outward to influence and enhance the lives of his students and
the dance community. The synergy and synchronicity of the art of dance is made manifest
daily in the dance between teacher and student, choreographer and dancer, colleague
and colleague, and college and community. These relationships, like art, are organic
and evolving. Mr. Tyson remains committed to sharing his talents and giving back to
the art form he loves and that has been such a force for good in his life and the
lives of so many others.

Toranika Washington received a M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from Nova Southeastern University.
She began her dance training with Michael Williams and Susan Quinn former members
of Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago. Toranika was a performer for Universal Studios
in Orlando, and has adjudicated national competitions as well as won first place awards
for her choreography. She has taught master classes and has been a guest lecturer
for dance conferences. In 2010, Toranika was on the panel that wrote the New Generation
Sunshine State Standards for the state of Florida. The NGSSS is used as a curriculum
guide for K-12 dance educators, and school administrators to design and implement
their dance classes. In 2011, she was one of eight national dance educators chosen
to receive the SURDNA Arts Teacher Fellowship Award. The full scholarship sent her
to Bates College in Lewiston, Maine where she collaborated with other dance educators
and professionals from all over the globe. She is a member of the National Dance Education
Organization, and an executive board member of the Florida Dance Education Organization.
Currently, she is a Dance Director for University School of Nova Southeastern University,
sponsor for the National Honor Society for Dance Arts. and the founder and director
of Innovations Dance Theatre.

Shannon Watters is a dance instructor, choreographer, performer, and Treasurer for the Dallas Repertoire
Ballet Board of Directors. She was born in Houston, Texas and moved to Dallas as
a child, where she received her early training from the Dallas Repertoire Ballet and
Academy of Dance Arts. She has been trained in jazz, ballet, pointe, lyrical, contemporary,
modern, hip-hop, and tap. As a student, Shannon was awarded the Texas Achievements
for the Gifted & Talented Scholarship and OMNI Richardson Arts Council Scholarship.
Continuing her dance education, Shannon attended Oklahoma City University where she
performed with American Spirit Dance Company and OCU Stars Pep Dancers her freshman
year. She completed her undergraduate studies at Southern Methodist University, graduating
Summa Cum Laude with a BBA in Finance and Economics. Currently, Shannon is pursuing
her MFA in Dance Choreography at Jacksonville University.

Some of Shannon’s performance experience includes a European modern and jazz tour
through Austria, Germany, and Italy; Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, where she was a
performer, aerial artist, and costume mistress; Dallas Dance Company performances;
BeautiControl industrials; Carpet One industrial; Toni & Guy industrial; Bally Total
Fitness promotions; NBC 5 Health & Fitness Expo; Dallas Cowboys Half-Time Shows with
Creed, Randy Jackson, and Jessica Simpson.

As a choreographer, Dallas Dance Company, Academy of Dance Arts, Allen High School,
Dance & Arts Connection, Precision Dance Academy, and Bally Total Fitness have showcased
Shannon’s work. Her pieces she has set with the competition teams at Academy of Dance
Arts have received outstanding choreography awards, high score overall routines, and
most recently, the Federation of Dance Competitions FDC People’s Choice Award.

Currently, Shannon lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband and two dogs. She works
with competition teams and teaches ballet, contemporary, jazz, and hip-hop classes
at the Academy of Dance Arts in Allen, Texas. She is also choreographing and performing
with Dallas Dance Company and other companies in the DFW metroplex.